Kiribati is a
Micronesian country made up of 33 low islands and atolls (823 km˛) with the
exception of Banaba which is raised to 87 m above sea level. According to the
2000 census, the total population for Kiribati is 84,494. The majority of the
population which is 78,158 lives in the Gilbert Group. The isolated Phoenix Group has a
population of 61 residing on Canton Island. The remote Line
Group comprising of Fanning Island, Washington Island and Christmas Island has a population of
1757, 1087 and 3431 respectively. Therefore, the total population for the Line
Group is 6336.

Fruit fly survey and
quarantine surveillance was initiated in June 1996 and an emergency response plan for
exotic fruit flies has been formulated. For more information, please contact:

FRUIT FLY SPECIES:Mango fly
(Bactrocera frauenfeldi) is common on every island of the Gilbert Group.
Melon fly (B. cucurbitae) was
discovered in 1987 on Christmas Island, imported with infested cucumbers from Hawaii. A
two year interruption to cucurbit cropping was apparently sufficient for its eradication.
A survey carried out in October 2002 has confirmed its absence from the
island.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF
FRUIT FLIES: Infestation levels by mango
fruit fly has been reduced to approximately 50% on ripe guava and 70% on Indian jujube in Tarawa.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Surveys.1. Established permanent trapping sites in South Tarawa and Christmas
island. Trap
sites made up of one trap baited with methyl eugenol and one with Cue-lure.
There is evidence from the data during the first half of this year that there
is a reduction in the number of flies trapped in the Cue Lure traps at most of
the sites on South Tarawa. 2. The work on fruit collection on
Tarawa and the other islands for adult flies emergence has been temporarily
suspended, however, it will continue again in the near future.

Pest status. 3.
Determined, by the damage caused on fruits that the damage has been reduced to
about 50% on guava and 70% on Indian jujube.

Development of National expertise: 4.
Provided training to quarantine, extension staff, Agriculture trainees and
students on recognition of mango fly and trap servicing.

Emergency response planning: 5. Increased
preparedness to detect quickly an incursion of an exotic fruit fly species and
drafted an Emergency Response Plan to eradicate any introduction of a new
unwanted species.

STATUS OF QUARANTINE SURVEILLANCE (as of October 2007):There
are five(5) trapping sites in South Tarawa and two(2) trapping sites in
Christmas Island, with Cue-lure and methyl eugenol traps on each trapping
site. Samples of breadfruits, tropical almonds and Tahitian
chestnuts are regularly collected as part of quarantine surveillance. There
are fruit fly posters at the airport and the wharf, quarantine bins at the
airport, and quarantine awareness announcements on radio.